World Record: Final word awaited

Dubai: Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) says Burj Khalifa builder Emaar has not shared blueprints in order for the 828-metre Dubai skyscraper to be truly certified as the world’s tallest structure.

“No, we haven’t got a blueprint yet, but we’ll probably get one sooner or later,” Jan Klerks, CTBUH spokesman, told XPRESS from CTBUH’s headquarters. “We’ll sure let the world know when we do.”

Klerks didn’t elaborate on Emaar’s delay in handing over the documents. Emaar couldn’t be reached for comment.

On the council’s website, the CTBUH said it “is the arbiter of the criteria upon which tall building height is measured, and thus the title of The World’s Tallest Building determined. CTBUH is the world’s leading body dedicated to the field of tall buildings and urban habitat and the recognised international source for information in these fields”.

The continued secrecy surrounding the Burj Khalifa is business as usual for Emaar which declined to publicly release the final height of the stalagmite-shaped structure before its January launch.

Sources close to the project told XPRESS that all internal architectural aspects of the Burj Khalifa were closely guarded by 10 top-level personnel. People who worked on the project declined to say whether the secrecy is part of security measures to keep the structure safe.